Furniture construction



March is, 192&

W. S. FERRIS FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filegl Jan. 8. 1924 Patented Mar.13, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM S. FEBRIS, 0F ELKHART, INDIANA.

, FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed January 8, 1924. Serial No. 685,006.

My invention relates generally to improvements in furnitureconstruction, but relates more particularly to improvements in the baseor supporting portions of chairs, settees, tables, and the like.

Furniture of the class mentioned, heretofore devised, has been of suchconstruction that when placed upon an uneven floor or other irregularsupporting surface, the article was unsteady, thus rocking to and froand causing annoyance to the user. i

The general object of my invention is to provide an article of furnitureof the class described, which when placed upon an uneven floor or othersupport, shall within reasonable limits, automatically adjust itself tosuch conditions so that the article shall stand rigidly in position.

Another object of my invention is to provide an article of furniturewhich shall automatically compensate for irregularities or unevenness inthe floor or other support and which, at the same time, shall be ofsimple and durable construction.

Again I aim to provide an article of furni ture having a base orsupporting portion which shall be of such construction that it can bequickly and easily assembled; which shall adapt itself to quantityproduction, and which can be produced at relatively low cost. i

My invention consists generally in a device of the form, arrangement,construction, and co-eperation of the parts wherebythe above namedobjects, together with others that will appear hereinafter, areobtainable; and my invention will be more readily understood byreference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what I consider,at the presout time, to be the preferred embodiment thereof.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an article of furniture embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view substantially on the line 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View substantially 011 the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view substantially along the line 4P4 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, I have shown a chair as the article in which myinvention is embodied, but this, it should be understood, is by way ofillustration and not by way of limitation.

The chair, as here shown, comprises a seat 1, a seat-supporting frame 2,a back rest 3, and suitable supports 4, for the back rest 3. As theseparts may be of the usual or desired construction, no detaileddescription thereof will be given. Suffice it to say that the seatframesupporting structure 2, is carried by the upright members 5,vconstituting T the chair legs of which there are four in this instance.The chair legs 5, are cross connected in a novel way which at once givesthenecessary rigidity to the structure and at the same time, enables itautomatically to adjust itself to the irregulartities or unevenness inthe floor or other supporting surface. The various pairs of legs 5 arecross connected in the same manner, so thata description of the crossconnecting structure extending between one pair of'lcgs will suffice forall. As here shown, the legs 5 are in the form of metal pipes or tubesof circular cross section. Ex-

tending between them is a bracing structure in thisinstance composed ofan upper member 6 and a lower member 7, each of which is arcua'te orsemi-circular in cross section, so that when placed together they form atubular structure. The parts 6 and 7 are held together by means of therivets 8, 9, and 10,

.which rivets also pass through short sections of pipes or tubes 11,12,. and 13, respectively. The'tube sections 11, 12, and 13 serve to reinforcc the bracing structure. The ends 14% and 15 respectively, of themembers 6 and 7 are bent at substantial right angles to the bodyportions thereof and are conformed to the circular surface of the chairlegs 5 to winch they are secured by means of rivets 16. I have thusprovided a. chair construction which is sufficiently rigid to stand upsatisfactorily in use, but which when placed upon an uneven floor orother surface, can

automatically adjust itself to such surface. Thus in Fig. 1, the flooris indicated as having a high portion 17 and a low portion 18, the chairlegs over the portion 18 assuming the dotted line position in contacttherewith. This is permitted under the weight of the user by virtue ofthe flexible construction of the bracing structure before described. Ofcourse, it will be understood that this compensating feature is onlyoperable within reasonable limits, but it is nevertheless, of greatvalue in overcoi'ning those irregularities ordinarily found in the usualfloor construc-,

tion.

The many advantageous features of the construction of my cha1r Wlll nowbe understood by those skilled in this art Without further comment.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture embodying therein a plurality of leg members,a hollow brace extending between a pair of said legs, each bracecomprisingtransversely separated parts of a length equal to the distancebetween said leg members, a plurality of tu bular rein Forcing membersarranged within the parts of said brace. and extending longitudinallthereof, and means securing said brace parts together at a plurality ofpoints.

2. An article of? furniture embodying therein a plurality of legmembers, a hollow brace extending between a pair of said legs, eachbrace comprising transversely separated parts of a length equal to thedistance between said leg members. a plurality of tubular reinforcingmembers arranged within the parts of said brace and extendinglongitmlinally thereof. and means securing said brace parts and tubularrein torcing members together.

3. A brace for chair legs. embodying therein a plurality of bracemembers of an arcuate cross section and arranged in edge to edgeengagement. at least one of said members having an end bent at an angle,tor attaclnnent to a chair leg. means for securing the members of thebrace together at a plurality of points and tubular members litting andclosely engaging the members of arcuate cross section for reinforcingthe same.

4. A brace for chair legs. embodying therein a plurality of bracemembers of an arcuate cross section and arranged in edge to edgeengagement, at least one of said members having an end bent at an angle.for attachment to a chair leg. tubular members fitting and closelyengaging the arcnate members of the brace, and means passing throughsaid arcuate members of the brace and said tubular members: for securingthem together.

A brace for chair legs, embodying therein a plnralit of brace members ofan arcuate cross section and arranged in edge to edge cngagmncnt, atleast one of said members having an end bent at an angle, for attachmentto a chair leg, spaced longi tudinal tubular members arranged withinsaid brace members and rivets passing through said members of the braceand said tubular members for securing them together.

6. A brace tor chair legs embodyingtherein, two semitubular membershaving an edge to edge engagement, with the ends of each member bent. atan angle and of a cross section to lit upon a chair leg, tubular memherspositioned in spaced relation within the brace and extendinglongitudinally thereof, and means passing through said scmitubnlarmeml'iers of the brace and the tubular memliers within the, same andextending in a plane at a right angle to the plane of the engaging edgesof said scmitulmlar members.

7. An article of furniture embodying therein, a plurality of legmembers. a brace extending between a pair of said leg members, saidbrace being composed of a plurality of metal portions arcuatc in crosssection and each of a length equal to the di tance between said legs,the ends of said metal portions being secured to respective leg members,means for reinforcing said brace at a plurality of points, and means forsecuring said arcuate portions together at a plurality of points.

In testimony whereofl I have hereunto set. my hand, this 27 day ofDecember. 1923.

WILLIAM S. FERRIS.

